The Lonashipping AU Corner
by pkmntrashcan
Summary: A series of lonashipping one-shots from an ask box meme I'm answering on tumblr! 1. Editor & Writer AU, 2. Childhood Best Friends AU 3. One Night Stand & Falling Pregnant AU 4. Amnesia AU 5. Meeting at a Masquerade AU 6. Partners in Crime AU 7. Meeting in Coffee Shop AU [DONE!]
1. Curiosity - Writer & Editor AU

Stress (v), 1. Subject to pressure or tension. 2. To give particular emphasis or importance to (a point, statement, or idea) made in speech or writing.

The dictionary definition did little to describe Moon's current situation.

As the newest addition to the Alola Times' writing staff she had spent the last few months trying to claw her way up towards bigger and more important pieces. Long gone was her patience for covering mundane topics like grand openings of supermarkets or opinion articles on whether or not Alola Raichu was cuter than other Raichu.

No, she was past that.

So when Gladion, the editor-in-chief, said he had a big break for her she agreed without a second thought. It was finally her chance to show everyone she had what it takes to be a front page journalist, but little did she know she would be covering his little sister's marriage to the Melemele Kahuna.

Her most recent draft laid on her desk covered in red circles and x's with a small note on a yellow sticky attached; this was obviously Gladion's work.

"If you're want to make it big, you're going to have to show more passion in your writing Moon."

"Passion?" Moon scoffs quietly as her chin rests in her palm. There was no passion for this topic. She leans back into her chair with a sigh as it spins slightly from her movement.

When the chair stops her body faces the very guy who was stressing her out.

Gladion was immensely focused as his eyes glanced over several pieces of work. His trademark red pen sliding across pages as he scribbled and crossed things out at a rapid rate. Moon had to hand it to him, however. Even with her most monotonous pieces he's been able to edit and work with her until they were perfect.

She lets out a groan. How was he supposed to edit a piece she couldn't even make decent? She hadn't even been in love to say she could fall into a gushing editorial.

But maybe…

Moon looks at Gladion curiously, now wondering if her brooding editor had ever been in love.

When she first started at the Times the welcoming staff made it very clear that Gladion was off limits. "While his face is pretty, his attitude is shitty," one of the staff members recited, only to be followed by sounds of agreement and loud high fives. Moon awkwardly chuckles, dismissing their watercooler talk, as her eyes scanned the office spaces.

Assistants were scurrying, writers were tapping away, and a handsome blonde was holding a conversation a few feet away…

She shakes her head snapping out of her reverie as she looks towards Gladion again, only this time a pair of piercing green eyes accompanied by a furrowed brow were staring right at her.

She quickly spins her chair back around in an attempt to playoff the situation; silently hoping that he didn't actually notice.

But her wishes fell through when she could hear the floor creaking only for the sound to stop right next to her. She hears him clear his throat, but is unable to look up as she tries to ignore the heat on her cheeks and the pounding in her chest.

"Moon."

She glances up shyly, "he-ey~ you!"

Gladion's stern expression doesn't budge as he shifts his gaze from Moon's awkward one and towards the unedited draft on her desk.

"Are you done with my edits yet?"

"Well, you see…" Moon chuckles, "I was about to ask you for your help?"

A tsk and a pinch of the bridge of his nose later he finally lets out his own sigh, clearly not entertained by her antics. "Moon, I can't continue to just drop everything to help you out. This was supposed to be your big article."

"It doesn't happen that often…" Moon mumbles only for Gladion to glare at her.

"You've written 17 pieces and all 17 of them required my one-on-one help. This is not how our writer-editor relationship should work!" he places the palm of his hand flatly on Moon's desk, his figure slightly menacing as he looms over her.

Moon's eyes widen at his fact recollection, and at how close he was standing, but as his words sunk in she suddenly had one question on her mind.

"Do you not work one-on-one with the other writers?"

Gladion pushes himself away so fast Moon swore he could've gotten whiplash, but he quickly turns and mutters "finish your edits, Moon," before the young writer could notice the blush rising to his own face.

Moon scoffs as she watches him walk away, quickly dismissing her question as she decides that the Melemele Sea would freeze over before Gladion would disclose his love life to her.


	2. More Than Friends? - Best Friends AU

It was the first day of preschool when his mom told Wicke to cram Gladion in a way too proper suit.

"I don't want to wear this," he murmurs as he pulls at the tucked in fabric, but all he gets in response is an apologetic look out of Wicke as she refocuses on his 'creatively' cut hair (courtesy of kitchen scissors he got a hold of the night before).

A couple of minutes and globs of gel later she steps back to observe her handiwork when she notices that Gladion had been completely silent. She squats down to his eye level and sees a frown so embedded onto his face that the Aether employee could've sworn it was a bitter 80 year old man in the body of her boss's 4 year old son.

"You're nervous about school aren't you, Master?" Wicke's voice was calm and nurturing to which Gladion finally meets her eyes, nodding slowly in response.

"You'll be okay, trust me. You'll make friends that can actually play with you, unlike Lillie who's too little, and you won't want to come back afterwards" Wicke gives him a smile and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder as his nerves suddenly are replaced with excitement.

"A friend?"

"Yes, all you have to do is be nice to them," Wicke says as she stands up and extends her hand towards his much smaller one. He grabs on excitedly as he follows her out the Aether mansion.

A new friend! Maybe his mom would let him invite the boy over to play, and maybe Wicke could help them look for Pokemon together and…

"This is Moon, your deskmate for the year," the teacher announces with a smile as Gladion stares at the kid standing next to the teacher's legs. She was shifting her weight between the balls of her feet and heels as if waiting for permission to move. Her clothing seemed comfortable, unlike his, and her hair was pulled into two messy braids that were covered by a hat that was way too big. Her eyes were wide and the shimmered in the classroom's natural lighting, and he could just feel the energy wanting to escape her tiny body.

Nope.

He didn't like her.

He tries to hide behind Wicke, but she steps a little further back much to his dismay.

"Now Master, remember what I said about making friends?"

Gladion looks at Wicke with complete distraught, but then he feels a tug on his shirt. He looks behind him, eyes blown wide.

It was the girl, smiling brightly at him.

"Everyone says boys have cooties, but do you want to be friends anyways?"

* * *

It was in fourth grade when Gladion proclaimed that Moon was his rival.

Long gone were the days of having to hold hands during field trips. And Arceus forbid that they had to share a desk for any longer. No, they were big kids now, and with that it meant they could play real games that tested intelligence, strength, and skill.

"You're only saying that cause you know I'm going to beat you at dodgeball," Moon says as she sticks out her tongue playfully.

Gladion brings the dodgeball closer to him as his eyes narrow at girl, "I AM NOT!"

"ARE TOO, SHORTY," Moon yells back as she reaches forward to yank the ball out of his hands.

Gladion stumbles slightly as the ball leaves him, but he has to tilt his head up to look at her smug expression.

"Watch out, Moon cause I'm going to beat you in everything we do!" Gladion says quietly, in an attempt to be menacing, but all Moon does is giggle.

"Tell me that when you're taller, Glady~"

* * *

It was in 8th grade when Moon and Gladion found themselves studying for their finals.

Their rivalry now extending past silly games and taunts, made testing season all the more intensive. The goal went beyond wanting to just pass, no, that was for everyone else. These two were tied for the number one spot on the honor roll and their competitive nature did nothing to ease the stress.

A couple of hours pass when suddenly Moon lifts her arms and stretches, her hair cascades all around her face as she props her chin on the palm of her hand. Her eyes watch Gladion carefully.

"Have you decided what high school you're going yet?"

The blonde lets out a quick tsk, clearly annoyed at the flow she was interrupting. "No," he mumbles as he continues scribbling some notes.

"Must be nice, huh" Moon says wistfully, "to pick whatever school you want to."

Gladion scoffs in reaction. "You're not the one dealing with my mom," he places his pen down as he lifts his fingers in air quotes, "you're an Aether kid and you only deserve the best."

It was funny how easily he could mimic his mother's eccentric ways, but the dejected sigh that leaves him makes it obvious that her care was overbearing.

"It's fine though. You'll probably graduate valedictorian without me around," Gladion says flippantly, but when Moon doesn't giggle he knew something was wrong. He lifts his eyes from the pages and sees Moon pouting.

"People will miss you, you know?"

He rolls his eyes, "Moon, please. No one likes me."

And that's when Moon looks at him completely seriously.

"But I like you."

A few seconds of heavy silence surround them. His head wraps itself around the confession, as his heart clamours strangely in his chest. That's when he feels an object hit his face. He looks down and sees a tiny owl eraser and when he looks back up he's met with Moon's mischievous smirk as she gestures for him to go back to work.

And while the action did break the tension, he wasn't able to focus the same way (and his slightly lower marks proved it.)

* * *

Years passed and the quiet declaration was never brought up again as the two fell into the most unbreakable friendship anyone has ever seen. It was in 12th grade, however, when Gladion finally had enough.

Moon without a doubt was his best friend.

His longest friend (and rival).

The friend he was absolutely **not** in love with.

Or at least that's what he told himself until their typical walk to her house was interrupted by a fellow classmate: Hau.

He was cheerful guy who Gladion didn't hate per say, but there was something about him that irked him. Maybe it was the way he always smiled, or the way Moon constantly talked fondly of his kindness, but regardless of the reason he always dismissed him with a shrug until today.

He watches them across the school gate, feeling his stomach churning and twisting in all sorts of ways. And as hard as he tried he couldn't pull his gaze away from the two because he noticed the flower behind Hau's back. He noticed his nervous and flustered smile and he knew Moon, no doubtedly, wouldn't see it coming as she looked at him with curious eyes.

He could hear Hau nervously chuckling, beating around the bush, and taking a deep breath before Gladion scowled and walked further down the road.

He props himself against a nearby tree, honestly looking like a teen up to no good, as he waits for Moon to show up.

As seconds turned to minutes however, the sinking feeling continued to grow.

What would happen if Moon started dating someone?

Would they still be friends?

Would they have to hang out less?

Would they-

"Psst, Gladion are you there?"'

Gladion turns his head almost immediately as he sees Moon waving a hand across his face. Their height difference really being substantial from the way she was tip toeing to get closer. "You okay there, bud?" Moon says with a small laugh as Gladion grabs her hand gently and lowers it.

He finds himself hesitating to let go.

"What was that about?" Gladion murmurs as Moon starts walking away from him, his own reaction to follow her lagging.

"Oh, Hau was just asking me to Prom."

Gladion swears time stops as Moon keeps walking forward. He finds himself clearing his throat in an attempt to force the question out.

"Well...what did you say?"

Moon turns around as she simply shrugs and takes a few, much slower, steps behind her, "I kindly told him no."

A quick wave of relief hit Gladion all at once. It was just Prom, nothing less, nothing more. And Moon turned him down! He quickly stops his train of thought as a small hint of guilt was added into the wave. Hau was a genuinely nice guy.

"There's only one person I want to go with, but he hasn't asked yet," Moon says as she continues to walk backwards. Her eyes were now watching him carefully, as if waiting for the proper response.

Who was she talking about?

But before he could even ask Moon decides to walk forward, closing the gap that had been forming between them. And when he still doesn't ask a clarifying question she lets out a huff of air that moves her bangs every so slightly before lifting her chin to look at him properly.

" **You** , silly," Moon says playfully as she watches Gladion's expression shift from confusion to realization and soon complete embarrassment.

"You really need to stop being so casual about that..." he murmurs, hoping Moon couldn't see the blush that was rising to his cheeks.

But she did and he soon saw Moon's trademark grin graces her features. "It's not casual if it's true," Moon says as she taps his cheek lightly with her hand before pulling away. "We've been friends for 13 years Gladion, pretty sure I would've dated someone by now if I didn't like you."

Then she laughs as she walks ahead of him again.

He takes a deep breath in as he tries to forget the feeling of her hand on his face.

Maybe he did like Moon.

As more than friend and rival, that is.


	3. Mistakes - One Night StandPregnancy AU

"Have you ever been curious?" Moon asks in a whisper as her back laid flat against a wall. Her chin was tilted slightly upwards to meet Gladion's piercing eyes as he loomed over her. His own hand was pressed to the wall next to her head. He seemed deep in thought as his eyes flickered to her lips, before he murmured his own response.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't."

Moon feels her breath hitch at his confession, and although it didn't ease the tension rising between the two it raised several unanswered questions.

Questions that both of them wouldn't dare to ask or answer.

So instead they stood in the middle of Gladion's living room in overbearing silence for what felt like an eternity. Their hearts were pounding due to a mix of uncertainty and piqued interest. The alcohol at the peak of its effect as their jumbled thoughts tried to come out coherently.

But it was late at night and the time frame for sensible decision making was long gone.

"Well, it's not like we're strangers," Moon answers coyly as she sees him swallow thickly in response. He leans in ever so slightly, making the distance between them only a few millimeters.

"Are you sure?" he asks again as his lips brush against hers lightly, but the question needed no verbal answer as Moon simply nodded and pulled him into a fervent kiss.

* * *

That one night had its fair share of consequences beyond the awkward glances they threw one another and the " what are we " discussion that never came up.

Because no, they weren't together; they were never going to be together. The idea of them partaking in anything beyond their minimal friendship was laughable, crazy even. But the far fetched idea seemed more realistic than Moon shakily looking at a pregnancy test only to see two red lines staring right back at her.

"Shit," Moon murmurs as she plops herself down on the edge of her bathtub. Her eyes squeeze tight as she takes a long languid breath.

Clearly, her mind was playing evil tricks on her and once she opened her eyes she knew the test would read negative.

It had to.

But when her eyes focus in on the test once more the lines were very much still there.

The uneasy feeling in her stomach returned; only this time she was unsure if it was the morning sickness she's been experiencing, or the reality-check churning the queasiness. But she flung herself towards the toilet regardless. Her body dry heaved as it tried to expel content that wasn't there. Her eyes were tearing, her chest was hurting, and as her body chilled out for a second she plopped herself down on the floor. Her hands clumsily run through her tangled hair as she tried to pull it together, but one dreaded thing crossed her mind in that moment…

Gladion didn't have any feelings for her so how was she supposed to break the news?

* * *

"Moon what are you doing here?" Gladion coughs out as he sees the black haired girl standing on his doorstep. Her eyes were downcast, her hands were fidgeting with one another, and when she finally looked up at him he could see her eyes quivering.

" Gladion we need to talk, " she whispers, but instead of asking for clarification he wordlessly steps aside. She quickly murmurs a thank you as she crosses his living room and sits down carefully on the couch.

Moon looked absolutely broken, but he forced himself to hover at his entrance for a bit longer than needed. He wasn't one to show how he really felt, but right now he wanted to physically reach out. He wanted to pull Moon close and ask her what was wrong, but he couldn't. They were barely friends and the idea of them being anything more made his heart clench. He might've been in love with the girl, but he knew nothing would ever happen.

And it was only in his deepest thoughts that he hoped that one night meant something to both sides of the party.

"Do you want water? Coffee…?" Gladion begins, as he tries to fill in the silence between them, but Moon only shakes her head.

"Just sit."

So he listens, like he always does when it came to her, and sits down across the way.

"That night...," Moon begins as he watches her fixate on the spotless floor. A stuffy reminder of how Moon always claimed they were complete opposites. Her life was an adventure, always colorful and wild while his, as Moon liked to phrase it, was pristine , orderly, nothing every rocked it off its path…

"...was a mistake"

At first her harsh declaration didn't register, but he could feel the words slow begin to cut deep into his skin. She kept her eyes down, her hands wringed the hem of her skirt, and the way her lips formed a straight line did nothing but slowly build up frustration in him.

"Is that all you wanted to say?," he responds coldly as he looks away from her; missing the pained look reflected in her own eyes as she finds herself struggling to say yes. A beat of silence passes between them before Moon gets up from her seat and makes her way back to the door. As she grips the doorknob a quick second of hesitation overcomes her.

She could turn around right now and tell him everything, but the distant look she saw on his face was enough to push her forward.

"Goodbye Gladion."

With the click of the door Gladion finds his back hitting the couch, her words repeating endlessly in his head.

A mistake.

The night was a mistake to her, and his mistake was letting her walk out of his life.


	4. Forgotten - Amnesia AU

Every day since Gladion left Alola his sister would call him. They weren't really about anything specific; she would catch him up on Hau's antics, she would ask him about his day, and much to his chagrin, she would always add a section about Moon. How she was still unbeatable, still the source of safety and comfort for the residents of Alola, and still waiting for his return. But as weeks went on Lillie stopped the lighthearted fun and dropped her concerns about the Champion instead.

Headaches. Fatigue. Fainting spells. Forgetfulness.

"Is she staying at the League too late or what?" Gladion demands, only to hear an exasperated sigh.

"No, she just mentioned helping a force of some sort," Lillie says sadly "but don't worry! Hau and I will make sure she's okay! We promise!"

That call was only a day ago. And now his phone was vibrating wildly on the nightstand, stirring him awake.

"Lillie," Gladion answers his phone groggily. "It's 3AM here"

But when his sister responds with a sob, instead of words he could feel his body involuntary get up. And then the sirens made their appearance in the background. "Lillie what's wrong? Are you okay?" his voice raises with frantic worry when Lillie finally chokes out.

"We don't know what's wrong with Moon."

So now Gladion was running through the halls of Alola general hospital after an 8 hour flight from Kanto.

214.

215.

216.

His hand dramatically pulls the door open, much to the startled reaction of the medical staff. But he ignores their reactions as his eyes scan the room. Doctors, nurses, a man in a trench coat, a woman in a suit, his sister, Hau, and Moon.

She was in the hospital bed, very much awake, but looking extremely drained. The dark circles under her eyes emphasized how translucent her skin looked. A nurse was fretting over the girl's head bandages becoming stained again. And if the visual proof wasn't enough, the insistent beeping of the EKG she was attached to made everything all the more real.

When he took a step forward, however, that's when reality decided to crash into him. Panic overcame her features. He could hear her breath hitch. Her eyes grew wide. Her short hair hits her in her the face as she rapidly turns to look at his sister, pleading for an answer.

"Lillie, what's a Team Skull member doing here?"

* * *

 _'I would say this is Retrograde amnesia,"_ the doctor announces, " _which is usually temporary, but if it seems like other factors were leading up to this, we won't know when her memory will return."_

Lillie finds herself fidgeting as Hau places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. The doctor's words providing little to no comfort, but her diagnostics turn into background noise when Gladion notices the two older adults silently slip away behind the corner.

He excuses himself to walk towards the mysterious figures. 

"Anabel, we might've pushed her too far," the older man whispers, but the regret in his voice is undeniable.

Her brow furrows at the accusation. "Looker, we never told her to get it done as fast as she was doing it. We warned her about the possibilities of getting trapped, getting hurt, ge-"

"Who the hell are you and what do you know about Moon?" Gladion interrupts, as the two are pulled out of their side conversation. Anabel's face stays firm and unaffected by the eavesdropper, but it's Looker who let's out an exasperated sigh.

"This isn't the time or p-"

Gladion's fist hits the side of the wall, creating a loud thud that soon gets Hau and Lillie running towards the source. He was angry, there was no doubt about that, but the adults find themselves in a situation they could not get themselves out of.

"Gladion what is going on?" Lillie cries, but her older brother wasn't there to be reasonable.

"Our best friend is in the hospital because of something you know. Speak. **Now**."

Anabel crosses her arms as she looks down at Gladion. "We're from the International Police," she begins "and the Champion was going to Ultra Space on our behalf to capture the Ultra Beasts."

What they shared did little to alleviate the stress the group of friends felt. Guilt. Concern. Anger. It was all there, and the two detectives finally showed remorse at the end of their explanation. No one was _supposed_ to get hurt, that's why she was going on the mission in the first place, to protect the region!

They would be lying, however, if they said they didn't notice Moon's strange behavior. But the Champion was stubborn and every time they brought it up she simply smiled and waved their worries away before jumping into yet another wormhole.

Until it came with repercussions.

The day of the girl was stumbling, her responses were slow, it seemed like she hadn't slept in days and yet she still jumped onto the back of Solgaleo and went off. She appeared a couple of hours later on the ground of the Altar of the Sunne, empty handed, next to a sad legendary.

Now Lillie and Hau sat at the side of her bed; Moon's thumb rubbing small comforting circles on Lillie's hand as the girl cried and apologized for not being there for her. Gladion notes that it should've been the other way around. But leave it to Moon to comfort those around her before herself. She smiles softly at the two, and whispers.

"Will you fill me in then?"

And Gladion unable to bring himself closer to the girl who couldn't remember him, stands against the wall across the room.

"So you're telling me I'm Alola's Champion?" Moon asks apprehensively.

They both nod excitedly.

"And Lillie's little cloud Pokemon is actually a legendary?"

"Yes!" Hau shouts, hopeful that something was being triggered.

"And that I somehow saved a region from alien-like Pokemon that your _mother_ brought over?"

"Yes! Yes!" Lillie's nods get more excited, until she sees Moon's lips twist into a small scowl.

"Listen you guys, you seem like such nice people, but all of this sounds _too_ farfetch'd," Moon murmurs. "Like everything sounds so far out there I imagine the simplest thing you could tell me is that I'm dating the grumpy boy standing over there," Moon finishes her sentence with a laugh. Clearly reveling in the _preposterous idea,_ but when Lillie and Hau's faces drop and Gladion looks up at her with complete shock, her giggles begin to quickly fade.

"You're kidding…"

Lillie stands up rather quickly, pulling Hau up with her. "You must be hungry we'll come right back!"

"But Lillie she has food right th-" Hau begins, only to get a glare out of the blonde and a quick head gesture towards the door. "We'll be back."

And just like that the two disappear, leaving a flustered Moon, and a distant Gladion in silence accompanied by the sounds of her hospital room.

But who was he to add more stress by telling her of their own history.

"We're not dating," Gladion declares before the silence got to be unbearable and all Moon does is chuckle.

"I figured, since you weren't very nice to me."

Gladion winces, "we had a bad first impression."

"And a horrid second," Moon adds matter-of-factly before she bites her bottom lip, "but I don't remember anything after that."

Her gaze falls on her hands as she twiddles with her thumbs. A habit Gladion recognized she did when she was nervous. "I don't expect you to…" he mutters, prompting a quirked eyebrow from the girl. "I don't expect you to remember things, that is."

She nods, accepting what she thought was his attempt at comforting her, but then it all hit her.

"What if I never remember?"

Her voice was quiet, but it sounded so broken. Dejected. Unlike the girl everyone knew to be Alola's savior.

He couldn't have that. "Then we'll just have to help you make new memories now won't we, Moon?" His face might've been serious, but to her surprise she could feel the sincerity in every word he spoke.

She lets out a small giggle as she extends her hand towards him in a truce of some sorts.

"Maybe Lillie was right about something between us, huh?"

* * *

But of course, nothing was going to be easy because the pressure became unbearable. Everyone wanted their Champion. Everyone wanted their friend. Everyone wanted Moon to be happy and welcoming and instead all they got was confusion, frustration, and anger.

Nothing like the Moon they knew.

So she would break out in tears as she tried to reestablish her life. She tried to fight the overwhelming feeling by begging for everyone to show her around. To tell her stories, to tell her what she was forgetting, but in doing so came a whole new problem.

The physical pain.

Moon would scream, would cry, would say her head felt like it was being crushed under the weight of gravity. And all Gladion could do was hold her as she felt her world was caving in on her.

"How's she doing?" Lillie asks one evening over the dinner. The tired and concerned look on Gladion's face giving away all his emotions about the situation.

"Not good," was the simple reply, and the siblings could only find themselves _hoping_ for a cure of some sort soon, until Professor Burnet came along with a hypothesis.

"Ultra Space, like Nihilego, is probably riddled with poisons," Burnet began, "given your lengthy exposure, the dimension jumping, and any physical trauma you may have experienced, it's no surprise your perception of reality has been affected."

"So are you saying there's nothing we can do to bring back my memories?" Moon says rather blandly, already desensitized to disappointing news.

Surprisingly, Burnet shakes her head. "On the contrary, I think if we can send you back to collect some samples we might be able to find a cure of some sorts."

* * *

It's Burnet's exact words that brought her and Gladion to the Altar of the Sunne.

"Why does it have to be you," Gladion whispers as they watch an Ultra Wormhole open up at the center of the site and its Moon's curious gaze that makes him shut up almost immediately.

"Gladion, why did you come with? You barely know me," Moon questions as she watches Gladion's face shift from anger to hurt.

But what was he to do? Confess his love to a girl who thought they were mere acquaintances? Tell her to not go into the wormhole and lose her only possible hope?

He answers her with silence and Moon pouts in response.

"Fine, be that way," Moon says as she clicks her tongue, beckoning Solgaleo to her side, "but I expect you to tell me when I'm back."

His eyes widen at the request as he turns to face her. "Moon, I would rather not-"

She quickly mounts the legendary who looks over at Gladion. It's eyes were filled concerned, and Gladion was pretty sure his own expression reflected the Pokemon's.

"You're the only one who hasn't pressured me into things, but I'm starting to wonder if me being like this is really hurting you too," Moon says quietly before flashing him a coy smile. "So you're telling me, regardless of memories, whether you like it or not."

The command was the closest Moon-like action he's seen in a while, but before he could give an answer she quickly says "Nebby, go" and the two ran into the wormhole.

* * *

Gladion finds himself soon accompanied by Lillie, Hau, Looker, Anabel, and Professor Burnet. They mostly stand in silence, like many do when paying their respects at the Altar. But internally they were there praying nothing would go haywire. But as a few more hours pass Anabel can't help but note that "she's been in there longer than she has before."

And that's when it happened.

The wormhole started blinking. In and out, in and out, growing duller as if it was losing its power source. A loud whirring sound started blaring as the rip in space continued to grow smaller and smaller. And a roar could be heard right as the portal shut and Solgaleo and Moon came shooting out.

Solgaleo came down with a massive crash; the ground shaking ever so slightly under the impact. But when the earth settles the Pokemon walks forward, it's strides covering ground quickly, as it lowers itself onto the ground. It's eyes looked heartbroken, the sparkling tears visible. It lets out a low, whiny, cry, in a pitch one could only describe as devastated as it shifts ever so slightly to show the girl.

Moon lied limply, empty handed, unresponsive to the Pokemon's nudging and the call of her name.


	5. Masked - Masquerade AU

"Is this what rich people do in their free time? Wear fancy costumes? Eat fancy food? Stick their noses so far up in the air they can't-OW!" Moon yelps as her hand slaps down on a spot on her side, a dreaded pin had pricked her and it was by no means an accident.

"Mother! What was that for?" She cries to which her mom only shakes her head disapprovingly.

"You better watch your mouth of yours at the ball young lady," she tsks as she continues to pin the pink dress in multiple places. "It's not everyday someone of our...class...gets invited and I swear on your father's grave if you mess this up there's going to be a lot more where this came from."

Moon feels herself deflate at the threat. Her mother had a point, that she couldn't deny. But she did not want to get married off for a hefty sum. Not now, not ever! Because those men, Moon internally groans, had nothing more than their pockets to speak of their character.

"Why are you selling me off, Mother?" Moon asks, breaking the concentrated silence. Her nimble hands stop in place as she peers up at her daughter. A sigh escapes her as she sticks the pins back into a cushion. Her hands coming up to caress her daughter's face.

"I'm not selling you off, Moon. I just think you deserve more in life than a house that's falling apart, and a table that never has enough food for us all."

Moon looks at her mom's dreary eyes, her weathered skin.

Her mom deserved so much better too.

"But you picked happiness over money," Moon whispers to which her mother laughs.

"And now I have to raise a rebellious daughter to show for it." Her hands release their hold as she quickly pats Moon on the cheek. "Money can't buy happiness, but it sure can bring security. And besides," she chuckles, "you might find someone you like."

* * *

"Gladion! Gladion get back here!" Gladion hears Lillie whisper through gritted teeth as he begins walking. He knew Lillie could spot his black and gold embellished jacket from a distance, but that didn't stop him from swerving in and out of groups of masked guests as he made his way to another portion of the ballroom.

After a good amount of time, he stopped to catch his breath at the top of the staircase. He figured Lillie had lost him. He couldn't see her white dress anywhere until he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He turns around, wide-eyed, only to see his sister in front of him with an immense pout and tightly crossed arms.

He lost the game.

"You can't just run off like that, brother! Mother would kill you," she quickly scolds, but he's one to brush off the warning.

"Lils, I'm tired of being a pawn for mother. She just wants to marry us off to the richest people here for her own social gain," Gladion says as he watches his sister's face fall. She knew he was right, but at the same time…

"Gladion, you don't even believe in love."

A scoff escapes him as he rolls his eyes. His sister's arguments now falling on deaf ears as he scans the crowd below. Hundreds and hundreds of guests, all hidden behind a mask of power and money.

Except for one person who stood out.

A soft pink dress cascades behind a figure and it's her lack of elegance that draws his eye to her. She was getting cornered and he could see her shoulders lifting as she tried to keep herself small as another guest places a hand on the wall next to her head. And the mask, although covering half her face, did nothing to hide the annoyance in her features. Furrowed brow, pouty lips, an aggravated look towards the stranger.

"And unlike you I actually do want to marry for love," he hears his sister murmur, "so maybe you can do me a favor big brother. You, for once, could dance with someone, instead of making me do mother's bidding!"

Gladion walks past his sister, ignoring the call of his name, as he finds himself walking down the stairs with a purpose.

"Just one dance," the masked man begs as he leans in, only to see Moon's hand on his chest holding him at a distance.

"I would rather not," Moon responds as she feels her back hit the cold wall, the eerie smile on his face growing as he notices the predicament they were in.

"You don't have much of a choice, now do you?"

Moon lifts the hand pushing the guy away and places it gently on his face. "Listen," Moon begins with a sly smile before leaning in. "I'll **always** have a choice," she whisper sultrily as she digs her nails into his cheek and kicks him in the shin. An audible yelp escapes the man as his arm flings up, allowing Moon to escape, as all eyes fall on her and the commotion. She curtsies, flashing a confident smile towards the nosy onlookers as she turns on her heel and is met with a flash of black and gold that settles into blonde and green.

Deep, **vibrant,** **emerald** green eyes only emphasized by the ornate black mask that sat on his fair skin.

Moon's mouth fell agape, her mind became blank, and she felt her senses ignite as she felt his hand grasp onto her wrist...only to note how quickly the warmth began to fade as he let go when she regained her balance.

Behind him, two much larger men, escorted the annoyance from before much to his complaint as he kick and screamed that "the devil woman should be kicked out as well." The nail marks on his face made Moon snicker but she stops when the blonde glances at her again.

"Sorry for the distress he may have caused," he recites with a business-like disposition, but the tone did nothing to distract her from what he was suggesting.

"I am not a damsel in distress, but I suppose I could thank you Mister..." Moon's snarky attitude fades, unsure of how to address him, but then she sees the corners of his lips turn just enough to see a semblance of a smile.

"A newcomer, huh? No wonder you stand out like a sore thumb," he announces. The nature Moon judged as cold quickly melted away into something more...coy, and Moon felt herself grow slightly defensive at his claim.

"Excuse me," she scoffs, "who are you to assume my class at a social gathering such as this one?" Her response was loud, and it beckoned the attention of people once more. It didn't bother her one bit, but she could see him eye the crowd.

A flash of worry overcame him.

A furious blonde girl was approaching them.

So he leans in to whisper: "No one of importance, but you searched for a name, and that's a dead giveaway."

Moon opens her mouth to deny his claim, but he leaves before she could even get a word out. She watches his back disappear into the crowd when she hears a huff and stomp of a heel on the marble floor.

"Please tell me Gladion asked you to dance," the girl asks through labored breaths. Had she been chasing him all evening?

"Gladion…?" Moon repeats with a curious intonation.

"My brother, the blonde you were t-ah" the girl's eyes grow wide as she slaps her hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry. Pretend I said nothing!," she quickly sputters before disappearing leaving a now enlightened Moon.


	6. Risk - Partners in Crime AU

"A jewel heist?" Gladion repeats quietly as he looks at Moon with widened eyes. Sure, they were criminals, but given their current circumstances there was no way she just muttered that. It only takes another second for his incredulously stare to fall as the unphased girl simply flips the page of newspaper. She actively chose to leave his question hanging.

"Mo-"

She lifts a single digit to her lips, shushing him before he could slip up and call attention to them. They were out in public, only hidden by simple disguises. A good call on her behalf.

She slides a little closer to the blonde on the bench. The glimmer in her eyes visible from beneath the round sunglasses, the undeniable smirk ever present on her lips, nodes of lavender wafting from her hair as she lays on his shoulder. She brings the newspaper up to cover both their faces. "It's not just any jewels," Moon whispers as Gladion peers his eyes away from her face and towards the news source.

"Lona Duo at Large, Again!" He murmurs, before she quietly sighs and nudges his head to look at the article underneath their latest triumph.

Alola Finds Precious Crystals.

Gladion only needed a fraction of a section to predict what Moon was about to say.

"No."

A quick eye roll. "But. I. Want. In." Moon whines with a pout as Gladion shakes his head in disdain.

"There's a bounty on our heads, M-"

She tsks, stopping his name drop once again, as she pulls back on the glasses and folds the paper carefully. He watches her stand as she extends her hand towards him, her eyebrow quirking as if telling him " we'll talk in private." So he grabs a hold, like always, and lets her lead the way back to the Villa off the side of the road.

But as soon as the door closes, all questions are unleashed.

"Moon are you out of your mind?" Gladion screams as she tears off the hat that sat atop her head. "After the Mega Stone fiasco, too!"

His words fell on deaf ears as Moon finishes hanging her belongings with the utmost precision. "Moon, you can't ignore the red flags! All regions have had their police on our tails for years" he pleads before she turns and walks up to him.

Her proximity throws him off as she places a gentle hand on his cheek.

"In 4 years, have we been caught yet?"

Gladion's lips form a thin line, his brows furrowing at his inability to deny her claim. His silence was enough fuel the fire lit inside of her. It was a fire that he himself couldn't dare to put out.

"And are you saying you **didn't** like the millions that passed through our hands?"

Gladion scoffs at the game she was playing. But at this point they both knew his resistance would be futile.

Gladion needed the money. Moon wanted the notoriety.

And both always got what they wanted.

"Are you sure we'll be okay?" Gladion asks as Moon gives him the sweetest smile she could conjure.

"I would never let anything happen to you."

* * *

"Catch," Moon yells through labored breaths as she throws the bag of Z-Crystals into Gladion's arms. The rudimentary alarm of the building was blaring. Sounds of multiple policemen chasing them was undeniable. Their commands of capturing them "dead or alive" was heard loud and clear by the duo. And all they could do was run. Run until their lungs gave out. Run until they escaped with the prize in hand.

Gladion climbs a nearby fire-escape heading for the rooftops of Heahea City, but when he peers down to the bottom of the ladder he notices Moon standing still. Her only sign of movement was her chest heaving to catch her breath, her hair billowing in the wind involuntarily.

"MOON, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he whispers aggressively towards his partner, but she was focusing on something-or the lack there of- the sounds had come to a sudden halt. The alarm stopped, and the footsteps were no longer behind them in chase.

Her head whips up fast, when she hears a grunt and notices Gladion's figure was missing from her point a view.

Pieces of gravel fall from the top, hitting the metal paneling around her, only to be accompanied by a loud crash of glass, a yell distinctively saying "MOON RUN," and then the gunshot.

Moon's stomach sinks as she ignores the verbal warning. She rushes to climb the flimsy ladder as fast as she could, her heart barely able to keep up with the pace.

She steps onto the floor, the sunset glow illuminating everything in front of her. Gladion was there. His face planted right against the ground, a pool of red liquid confirming her worst thoughts. Right next to him was the bag she just threw up; the Z-Crystals scattered and now broken.

Moon feels a sob lodge in her throat. The threat of tears brimming in her eyes as she turns to leave the scene. If the footsteps ended below her, they were bound to be up here soon. One of them had to make it out, but a low chuckle interrupts her plan, and her grieving.

"Looks like the second part of the Lona duo finally came to play," she hears triumphantly alongside the cocking of a gun. She stands absolutely frozen as the footsteps draw closer and closer before he soon makes his way right in front of her. The light draws her attention to his police badge, the name "Sun" engraving itself in her brain, before he pulls the trigger ending the crime spree.


	7. Scientifically Proven - Coffeeshop AU

Gladion was a man of science, and love, in essence, was a scientific process.

From neurotransmitters, to hormones, science had proven from time-to-time again that love was merely the human body seeking reproduction. A chain of chemical reactions. A connection through the senses.

Love was scientific, and love at first sight wasn't real...

Or so Gladion thought.

It was his first time at the ground-level cafe, a place he typically avoided due to the fact that all the Aether employees under his jurisdiction would stop by here. And the evidence of their lollygagging was clear as the line he was standing in was moving at a Slowpoke's pace.

A tsk escapes him as he glances down at his watch, 10 minutes have passed. He could leave and accept his faith, but his willpower to push through the day was long gone. After several lengthy meetings and frustrating board members, he needed resurgence, a will to live, he **needed** coffee like his brain needed oxygen, even if the line to obtain his source of life would be his undoing.

But it's when he lifts his eyes that suddenly time doesn't seem to run so dreadfully slowly. By the order window was a girl, maybe a year or two younger than him, as assumed by her choice of clothes. Her short black hair fell in the most precise of ways as it adorned her soft facial features. Her nails had a slight glitter to them that caught the sun's reflection as she flipped through a magazine. Her mouth absentmindedly chewed on a straw that made her coffee, from this very shop, seem like the best coffee in all of Alola.

Could that drink really be that good, Gladion whispers when his train of thought is interrupted by clear, gray eyes locking onto his. In a quick moment of panic Gladion looks away, flustered and overwhelmed, as he rubs his sweaty palms alongside his pants. Silently berating himself he steps forward, noting the line had moved slightly up, before he finds his head turning towards her again.

"Excuse me sir-"

She had changed positions. Her head resting on the palm of her propped arm as she casually continued to read. Gladion could feel his heart increasing in pace as the desire to just talk to her grew-

"President Gladion-"

His head turns towards the cashier who was giving him a smile, albeit a forced one, before saying in a practiced customer service voice, "would you like to order?"

' Oh. Right. Coffee…' Gladion recalls as he steps forward before opening his mouth and realizing. He didn't actually know what to order. He mutters a quick apology as his eyes glance towards the menu, fighting the temptation to glance at the stranger right beyond the propped sandwich board.

"Her name's Moon."

Gladion looks at the cashier with a furrowed brow, unsure of what he, Hau as written on the nametag, was referring to. "The girl to my left. The one you're entranced with. Her name's Moon," he repeats with a more genuine smile. "She works morning shifts before me."

It took every fiber of Gladion's being to not hastily deny his claim, to not scoff away the hint given to him by an overly friend stranger. ' Friends, probably ,' Gladion assumed as he finally came to and brushed aside Hau's hint to place an order. Iced Americano, like her. Large, two extra shots, for his own good. $6.50 plus a 50 dollar tip Gladion threw in for good measure.

But as he picked up his drink he glanced at her once more, noting her own eyes on him and the blush gracing her features as she looked away hastily.

Love at first sight wasn't scientifically proven, that was for sure, but maybe Gladion could do something to change that starting with Moon and a cup of coffee.


End file.
